Abstract
Using nutritional supplements is a widespread strategy among basketball players to ensure the appropriate provision of energy and nutrients to avoid certain complaints. Particularly in basketball, there is no consensus on the type, quantity or form of use in which these supplements should be administered. Therefore, the main aim of this systematic review is to highlight the ergo-nutritional aids that may be effective in basketball. A structured search was carried out following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA®) guidelines in the Medline/PubMed and Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases until 31 December 2021; no year restriction was applied to the search strategy. There were no filters applied to the basketball players’ level, gender, race, or age to increase the power of the analysis. The results of this systematic review have shown that the effective dose of caffeine to enhance anaerobic performance and the feeling of vigorousness and energy ranges from 3 to 6 mg·kg−1, showing more positive effects when is supplemented 60–75 min before exercise in the morning and in test-based task. On the other hand, vitamin E (ranging from 200 to 268 mg), vitamin D (10,000 IU) and EPA (2 g) may have a potential role in recovery and wellness. The primary limitation of this study is the scarcity of studies related to nutritional supplementation in basketball players. However, a major strength is that this is the first systematic review describing what ergo-nutritional aids may be specifically helpful for basketball. Despite the need for future studies, certain nutritional supplements may have promising advantages for basketball (long-term supplementation of nitrates for recovery), whereas others (β-alanine, sodium bicarbonate, and acute nitrate supplementation) might theoretically be regarded as not interesting for basketball, or even not recommended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as bovine colostrum.
Highlights
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, played by males and females of all levels and ages [1]
The results of this systematic review have shown that the effective dose of CAF to enhance anaerobic performance and the feeling of vigorousness and energy ranges from 3 to 6 mg·kg−1, showing more positive effects when is supplemented 60–75 min before exercise in the morning and in a test-based task
We found one study [56] describing a positive association of 2 g Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) for 6 weeks with a reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory markers and, recovery
Summary
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, played by males and females of all levels and ages [1]. A player can perform more than 2000 explosive actions, reaching 85% of their maximum heart rate and accumulating concentrations of lactate in the blood from 2.7 to 6.8 mmol [1–3]. In addition to high-intensity actions, basketball players must have a suitable aerobic form Strength and force production, agility and speed are key components of good performance, as they are required for numerous basketball movements. Basketball players must complete their recovery (energy, structure, psychological and functional) quickly and effectively because they have little time to recover (due to the large number of games in one full season and many hours of travel) [4–7]. Basketball teams are highly engaged in implementing recovery strategies [5], and good nutrition plays a key role as one such strategy. Basketball teams are highly engaged in implementing recovery strategies [5], and good nutrition plays a key role as one such strategy. [8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
